The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has expressed doubt over the willingness of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure peace in the 2019 election.
She said this during a meeting with the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which are fielding a Joint International Elections Observer Mission.
The IRI and NDI high-level delegates are in Nigeria between December 14 and December 20, to meet with key stakeholders on the electoral process and assess the pre-election environment.
The delegation is led by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs; Ambassador Lewis Lucke, Executive Vice President for the Middle East and Africa of
Grainster LLC; John Tomaszewski, Regional Director for Africa at IRI; and Dickson Omondi, Kenya Resident Country Director at NDI.
She said, “The delegation and the international community should join
the Nigerian people to prevail on President Buhari to practicalise the peace accord with exemplary actions in order to build confidence in the process.
“The most crucial thing the President must do to build the confidence of all contestants and the Nigerian people is to sign the Electoral
Amendment Bill 2018 into law. Should he fail to do so, we must encourage the National Assembly to override the President and enact the bill to an Act.”
Ezekwesili warned that the use of security officers to compromise the election may lead to danger in the country.
She said, “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Offices must take due cognisance and avert the danger that the military and police establishments have become to our democracy as was evident in the Osun and Ekiti elections.
“The security forces must be pulled out of the co-opted involvement in our elections, which in those two gubernatorial elections disenfranchised many voters.
“Nigerians want a new direction and the President must avoid actions that suggest he wishes to suppress the aspiration of the people in the 2019 elections. Any action of the President that aims at giving him an
advantage in the February elections amounts to political corruption since he is using his political power for personal gain as a candidate.”
On his part, the NDI/IRI head of delegation, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the visit was to ensure a free and fair election in Nigeria.
